James Prysock 鈥�09, MBA鈥�19, director聽of Otterbein鈥檚 Office of Social聽Justice and Activism, connected with聽9i果冻制作厂graduate, Tony Bishop 鈥�15,聽MSAH鈥�18, the new executive director聽of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus,聽and Desmond Fernandez 鈥�21, a senior聽BFA acting major who organized聽several Westerville-based Black聽Lives Matter protests this summer.聽During their conversation, Bishop聽and Fernandez shared their insights聽and hopes for how working together can enable change.
PRYSOCK: Part of advocacy is doing some聽things you don鈥檛 necessarily have to do,聽but it鈥檚 something that you really want to聽do. Why did you feel it was so important聽to be a part of the leadership of the聽Westerville protest, Desmond?
Desmond Fernandez 鈥�21 said this is his time to be a part of bettering his community.
FERNANDEZ: I鈥檝e been a part of this聽community for so long 鈥� it鈥檚 my lifeline聽for success and happiness. This is my time聽to be a part of this mission to better our聽community and make it even more diverse and聽more inclusive.
What I thought was going to be maybe 50聽people was almost 1,000 people. It was聽inspiring. Not only was I protesting with聽my classmates, I was protesting with my聽teachers. Teachers who exposed me to morals聽and lessons from To Kill a Mockingbird; who聽helped mold my belief that black people do聽have a purpose in theatre; who were there聽photographing everything to make sure it聽leaves an imprint on our history 鈥� and聽one professor even brought her son. What聽this is about is deeply ingrained in my聽community 鈥� Westerville is going to be an聽example by the time we get done with this.
PRYSOCK: What specific changes聽would you like to see to be an聽inclusive community?
BISHOP: Community is the way聽through all of this. These聽protests are everybody 鈥� young,聽old, black, white and everybody聽in between. That鈥檚 the聽beautiful thing about it. This聽is our opportunity right now聽to redefine what it means to聽be an American and say that is聽an inclusive thing. The reason聽we are so strong as a country,聽historically, is because聽of our diversity. The only聽substantive pillar of American聽exceptionalism is the fact that聽we鈥檙e all in it together. We聽have the best minds from all聽over the world under one roof.聽I鈥檇 like to see people rally聽around that.
FERNANDEZ: For me, it鈥檚 unity.聽If we get stuck in these debates聽of each side saying, 鈥淚鈥檓 not聽going to budge,鈥� we鈥檙e going to聽remain stagnant. We鈥檝e got to be聽able to find that middle ground.聽We鈥檝e got to come together.聽Then, as we begin to understand聽one another, what is the next聽action going to be? We鈥檝e got to聽hold those that are in a higher聽position than us accountable.聽We鈥檝e got to know who to contact聽鈥� whether that鈥檚 in Congress or聽local legislators. Voting is a聽powerful thing. Voting is not the聽cure 鈥� it is simply a tool. We鈥檝e聽got to do other things as well.
PRYSOCK: Tony, you passed on one opportunity in order to work for the Black Caucus. What compelled you? (Bishop was invited as the United States鈥� representative聽to the Foreign Service program at the University of Oxford, England.)
BISHOP: If something happens to this place and I was聽somewhere else and I wasn鈥檛 doing my part 鈥� protesting,聽helping out legislatively 鈥� I don鈥檛 think I could live聽with myself. This country is everything to me despite聽its flaws and warts 鈥� we believe so much in this place聽that we鈥檙e honestly willing to die for it.聽
Also, when you do the right thing, good things normally聽come back to you. I got invited to speak in the U.K.聽about what I鈥檓 doing now. It all comes full circle when聽you do what you鈥檙e supposed to do.聽
9i果冻制作厂instilled that in us 鈥� making those values聽basically a part of the core curriculum. 9i果冻制作厂has聽a history of doing what鈥檚 right before it鈥檚 popular and聽not being afraid to stand out there as the first one.聽That level of sacrifice is necessary to change something.
PRYSOCK: What advice would you give to people who want聽to be advocates and are trying to figure out the way to聽best support their community?
FERNANDEZ: Alice Walker. Rosa Parks. Martin Luther聽King Jr. Malcolm X. Maya Angelou. John Lewis. Colin聽Kaepernick. These are absolutely profound people, and聽they made a huge impact on our American culture. But聽they鈥檙e just humans. You don鈥檛 need to give speeches聽in front of thousands of people or have all the press聽there to be an advocate. These people were advocates but聽they鈥檙e also activists. Like the first part of that word,聽you simply need to act. You鈥檝e got to do it and you鈥檝e聽got to act now.
BISHOP: The best way to formulate changes to a system聽is to learn how it works in the first place so you know聽you can rebuild it better. I鈥檒l give you a quote from聽the movement: 鈥淲e are the ones we鈥檝e been waiting for.鈥澛燛verybody has a part to play. There鈥檚 a way to raise聽awareness about what鈥檚 happening and show where you聽stand. Whatever your strengths are 鈥� volunteering your聽time or baking cookies or whatever 鈥� there鈥檚 a place聽in this for everybody.